5 Ways to reduce the use of plastic in your home!

Here are 5 tips to help you reduce the use of plastic in your home!

As a nation we are finally becoming more aware about the harmfulness of single use plastic and how it’s destroying the planet. Every bit of plastic you have ever used still exists somewhere, which is massively scary. It’s quite overwhelming to know where to start or how to make changes, but small changes really can make a massive difference.

So here are some things you can swap out in your home….

1. Swap your shower gels for SOAP!

We are all so used to running out of shower gel and just buying more, not even thinking about the packaging. But the majority of shower gels sold in super markets, are sold in plastic bottles. Unfortunately once we have run out, we pop them in the recycling bin with the hope that it gets recycled. The sad truth is that not many of the bottles we use in our house hold can be fully recycled, so they just end up in landfill or the sea.

What should I switch to?

Soap! It lasts longer, smells amazing and comes in recycled packaging. I love the Neals yard ones and you can buy on offer 3 for £10. Find out more here!

Their packaging comes from FSC certified woodland and, since 2012, has offset 200 tonnes of CO2, with World Land Trust. They’ve helped this conservation charity protect 500,000m2 of endangered forest to date.

2. Swap your plastic toothbrush for a BAMBOO ONE! (Keep the old one for cleaning)

One billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away every year in the United States alone, creating 50 millionpounds of waste annually. I found this little diagram below (courtesy of https://www.foreo.com/mysa/) which I found really interesting and pretty shocking.

So if you or your children use manual toothbrushes at home or when travelling, perhaps think about switching to one of these.

3. Swap your plastic washing up brush for a natural wooden one!

I wanted to share the one I use, but there are many brushes out there that are not made from plastic! This one is good because it has an interchangeable head and the bristles are quite course, ideal for getting rid of that grime. You can purchase here online!

4. Buy natural laundry powder in paper bags! Go on give it a go!

Over the last 5 years I have used natural washing powders and since I’ve switched from using fragranced washing detergents and fabric conditioners, I genuinely find artificially fragranced products will give me a headache. Here is the brand that I use and love, but again there are many on the market! Their packaging is completely recyclable too. I buy mine online here – Natural Washing Powder.

Interesting facts below;

One of the main sources of chemical pollutants is everyday detergents. Specific contaminants leading to water pollution include a wide range of chemicals (such as bleach) and microbes. Several chemicals that we use our daily life are harmful elements and compounds. These could be magnesium or calcium based substances that affect water. Detergents sometimes could be carcinogenic, so they should be eliminated from the water. According to Enviroharvest Inc, “The detergents can contain suspected carcinogens, and ingredients that do not fully biodegrade. (https://sciencing.com/chemical-pollution-caused-day-detergents-6664097.html)

This product is a concentrated, non-biological powder, suitable for all automatic machines. Hypoallergenic, free from perfumes and enzymes. No optical brighteners or phosphates, and completely biodegradable.

5. Stop using plastic bags! Get yourself a shopper!

This is a pretty obvious one, but sometimes I even get caught out when I forget my bags! So I now keep one rolled up in my handbag or backpack. If you order your food online, you can now opt for your delivery to arrive in crates with no shopping bags.

This is my preferred choice as it’s a bit bigger and you can cram loads in it! You don’t always have to use these for food, you can obviously use these when you go clothes shopping too.

These are just little tips that you might want to think about, you’ll be surprised that when you start making small little changes, you will be come more conscious about what you buy and where its from. Once you start becoming more aware, it’s genuinely hard to go back. We can’t be perfect all the time, but even being a little bit more conscious can and will make a huge difference to the environment.